Starting SMT home company.

For a microscope, you want one with the greatest working distance and depth of field you can get. You don't want a lot of magnification, so something like 0.7 - 20 X is good. If you are buying new, have salesmen bring them by and actually try them on the boards and components you will use.

For hand soldering, I tend to go with Weller. Their tips are pretty good and inexpensive. I am particularly happy with the obsolete EC1302 iron. You can still get new old stock irons on eBay, but you'd have to settle for used stations. For new, I think the WSL with WMP iron is about as good. I hate the handle holder, it is too easy to dislodge the iron off the base and then it is an exciting dance to see if you can avoid getting burned. The handle does stay cooler than the EX1302, though.

I use Pace gear for desoldering work, and they are amazing. I actually desolder some expensive 68-pin connectors off old rev boards, and you can't tell either on the board or the part that they were desoldered!

I'm just setting up a Philips pick and place machine after doing all hand mounting/soldering for the last 10 years.

Jon

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I just purchased some PACE ST-25 systems for basic soldering and they work great. It was a deal at $155 each and they heat up FAST! Tips are around $6 each so the whole system is affordable.

A step up for rework jobs would be the Metcal MX systems. You can get them off eBay pretty easily, but they are not cheap.

I got a $1000 scope with a USB camera off eBay that I am happy with. Pretty good optics and having the camera is handy capturing pix for reports.

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Hi Tammy,

If you're starting your own business and are asking these types of questions, I'd suggest hiring someone who knows the answers to these types of questions. Not a slam on your part, I hope your business does well (unless you start stealing my customers) but as an owner you should know the answer to these questions.

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